This invention relates to a receiver, a program retrieval method, and a receiving method. Particularly, it relates to a receiver, a program retrieval method, and a receiving method which enable quick retrieval of a desired program from a plurality of programs.
Recently, there has been significant digitization in television broadcasts, particularly in the field of satellite broadcasting, and the number of channels has increased to not less than 100. As the number of channels has thus increased, it is difficult to select a desired program from programs of multiple channels. Thus, in order to support program selection, it is proposed that an electronic program guide (EPG) should be transmitted from the side of a program provider. Using this EPG, the user can select, receive and display a desired program quickly and securely, and can also reserve recording of that program. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary display of a program selection screen of such an EPG. In this example, miniature images showing the contents of programs are displayed in 4×4 divided small screens. The small screens showing the contents of programs are selected by using a cursor 201.
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary structure of a remote controller used for carrying out such program selection. In this example, number buttons 202 and cursor buttons 203 are provided. When there are a large number of channels, it is difficult to select a program using the number buttons 202. Therefore, in the program selection screen as shown in FIG. 1, it is normal to carry out program selection using the cursor buttons 203. By operating the cursor buttons 203, the user can move the cursor 201 up, down, left and right. Then, by locating the cursor 201 on a miniature image of a desired program and operating a decide button 204, the user can select that program.
FIG. 3 shows another exemplary display of the EPG program selection screen. In this example, six channels are displayed as a channel list 211, and programs to be broadcast (or being broadcast) are displayed in each time period for the respective channels as a program table 213. Similarly to the case of FIG. 1, by operating the cursor buttons 203 on the remote controller to locate a cursor 212 on a desired program and then operating the decide button 204, the user can select that program.
As the number of programs is thus increased, in the case where a program of a predetermined broadcast time is to be retrieved and displayed on a display, the following problems arise. That is, such retrieval is time-consuming and the time required for displaying the retrieval result after the user's command of retrieval is lengthy, thus deteriorating the operability.
Also, such conventional EPG is only similar to a program page prescribed by the channel and broadcast time, as shown in newspaper and program information magazines, and cannot support effective providing of each program to each user. Therefore, program selection is complicated, causing a problem that a desired program cannot be selected quickly.